One step backward was all it took for the Lehigh men's lacrosse
team to take its first big step forward under fifth-year coach
Kevin Cassese.

A lopsided loss to Villanova in the second game of the season
forced the Mountain Hawks to re-evaluate their approach and realize
they potentially were headed down a familiar path toward yet
another mediocre finish.

Thanks to a players-only meeting in which the Hawks began to hold
each other accountable, they regrouped for what now has turned to a
five-game win streak and 6-1 record with wins over three top 20
opponents. It’s Lehigh’s best start since 1969.

“We've had to be patient over the last four and a half years
and kind of see this thing through fruition,” Cassese said of
his tenure. “We knew we were very close. You look at our
schedule the last few years and a lot of our losses were close
games to highly-ranked teams. We just couldn't figure out how to
take that next step and how to come up with that big win.

“I think that's what is showing now is that everyone
involved in the program is understanding what it takes to be a
winner.”

Lehigh, now ranked No. 11 going into Saturday's home game against
Army, was 28-36 in Cassese's first four seasons, including a 7-9
finish last year when the Hawks ended the season in the Patriot
League semifinals.

After returning the core of the 2011 lineup, Lehigh came into
this season with expectations for quick improvement. The optimism
suddenly faded with a devastating 17-7 loss to Villanova -- a team
the Hawks traditionally match up well with -- in the home
opener.

“We really got beaten up in that game,” Cassese
said. “For us, we had to really take a step back because all
along we were saying this year was going to be different. We were
thinking that way and saying it, but obviously the actions speak
louder than words. Our actions in game No. 2 showed us we were
going backward instead of forward.”

Cassese and his coaching staff analyzed the loss over and over and
came to a conclusion that it had nothing to do with lacrosse and
everything to do with chemistry and commitment. Through team and
individual meetings, the Hawks spent the days leading up to their
next game focused on themselves, rather than preparing for
Manhattan.

On Feb. 21, three days after the loss and four days before the
Manhattan game, the seniors led a players-only meeting that served
as the turning point.

“We just called each other out and were very real, very
honest with one another,” four-year starter Roman Lao-Gosney
said. “A lot of the attention was focused toward the
captains, myself and my brother (fraternal twin and fellow
four-year starter Cameron Lao-Gosney).

“The younger players felt we needed to step up. They felt
[the senior leaders] were invisible in that Villanova game. The
players needed more from us, and we really took that to heart. We
heard things we needed to hear.”

The team hasn't been the same since. The Hawks bounced back with
a 13-0 win over Manhattan before earning wins over ranked teams,
Penn, UNC and Yale, with the help of a stellar help-oriented
defense that during its five-game win streak has limited opponents
to 4.2 goals per game.

“The younger players felt we needed to step up. They felt
[the senior leaders] were invisible in that Villanova game. The
players needed more from us, and we really took that to
heart."

-- Lehigh co-captain
Roman Lao-Gosney

Freshman goaltender Matt Poillon (5.91 goals against average,
60.2 save percentage) has won consecutive Patriot League goalie of
the week honors. On Sunday against Yale, the defense didn’t
allow a goal for a 21:29 stretch. Lehigh has also kept the ball
away from opponents, with faceoff taker Ryan Snyder ranking 20th
nationally in win percentage (56.5).

“I saw the change that first practice after the
meeting,” said Roman Lao-Gosney, who has accounted for seven
goals and three assists. “It was the most upbeat, fast-paced
practice I've ever been a part of, and we've just become more
accountable and not afraid to hash it out and be real with each
other about what we need to do.”

Cassese said the Lao-Gosney twins and senior David DiMaria, who
leads the team with 10 goals and 11 assists, have been catalysts to
the run. However, it took a team effort to put it together.

“It goes to all 47 members of our roster, and you can only
put 10 on the field at once. It's getting 37 other men to realize
they can be helpful in different ways than playing those minutes on
game day.”

The fun is just beginning for the Hawks, though, as they open
their conference schedule Saturday against Army with the ultimate
goal of a Patriot League title in mind.

“I've put in a lot of work the last three years and don't
have anything to show for it and still don't really,”
Lao-Gosney said. “We still have a long way to go and a lot
left to accomplish. I've known we could be good for three years
because the talent and work level has been there, but we just
haven't been able to put it together.

“It's awesome to see it come together finally, and now we
just have to keep it going. I'm not going to leave Lehigh with
nothing.”